Help
by FlamingFlyingFoxOfDoom
Summary: "I can feel it scratching at my insides...It wants to get out..." he shuddered, his eyes glazed "It wants to use me and turn me into a monster."
1. Chapter 1, Madness Enters

**Fox: Hey! New fic! Why? BECAUSE! **

**Riza: I'm here too. In anycase, Fox doesn't own FMA. Please enjoy the chapter.**

_One_

_**Madness Enters**_

"Hello?" Ed called cautiously, slowly walking down the empty halls. Water dripped from the ceiling, forming multiple muggy puddles. The water soaked up into his boots, making his stride sluggish. He peered through the dimly-lit stone corridor, the stones of the wall reflecting a grim light.

"Anyone here?" Ed called again.

_"Heh heh heh heh…"_ a scratchy sound chuckled, the echoes of the laughter sending shivers down Ed's spine.

"Where are you?" he snapped. He clapped his hand swiftly, transmuting his arm into a blade. Ed turned on heel, eyes narrowed as he got into his stance "SHOW YOURSELF!"

_"Heh heh heh…"_ the chuckling continued. _"Heh heh heh heh… HEH HEH HEH! HAHAHAHAA!"_

_"Where are y-"_ Ed started. A sickly-gray tendril wrapped around his neck, dragging him down. The blonde's yellow irises widened as he fell. He slashed out with his handblade. A large, clawed arm wrapped around his chest. A rancid breath filled his nostrils. Another hand covered his mouth.

_"Hello hello." _The voice whispered into his ear _"This is madness. How are you?"_

Ed glared and attempted to throw his captor off, before the dark talons sank into his flesh. His scream of pain was forced back down into his throat. Sweat beaded his forehead and he twisted, still trying to throw the thing off.

_"I asked you a question."_ The voice hissed. Talons wrenched deeper into the flesh of his back. _"Why don't you answer?"_

Ed continued to struggle, ignoring the eruptions of pain that trembled throughout his body.

_"We'll know each other well enough soon."_ The voice cackled, tracing the blonde's face with a slimy tongue "_I promise you that."_

Ed grimaced and fumbled at the stone floor, still trying to throw off his attacker. He flattened the palm of his hand against the ground, a stone jutting up and knocking the thing off. The blonde stumbled back to his feet, starting to feel light-headed from blood loss.

The source of the voice leaned over backwards onto the stone floor. Its back seemed to lack any bones. Its jet-black eyes snapped open and it licked its pointed tongue over its sharp fangs. It straightened itself, dragging its over-sized arms along behind it. Its large feet scraped the ground, the dark talons leaving faint scars. The gray tendrils thrashed wildly from its back.

_"Don't be like that…"_ it moaned, limping toward the blonde. _"We're friends…Friends…"_

"Shut up!" Ed snapped, clapping his hands. Pain stabbed up his left arm into his shoulder. He clenched his jaws to prevent himself from screaming. Stones jutted from the ground, knocking the thing's head backward, a loud crack blasted from the air.

_"Not nice…"_ the thing grunted, snapping its head back into position. _"Not nice at all…"_

Ed felt himself begin to tremble. He struggled to keep himself calm.

_Everything's blurring…_ he thought groggily _Blood…Lost too much?_

_"NOT NICE!"_ the creature screeched, lunging at Ed. The blonde stumbled back, but found himself held into place by the gray tendrils. His chin was tilted up by the voice, its black eyes endless. It licked his face again. _"That's okay…that's okay…"_ Madness liquefied, turning into a gel-like gray mass. Ed thrashed to get away. It flooded into his mouth, his eyes, his nose and ears. The blonde gagged on it as it poured into him.

_NO, NO,NO!_

_**Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.**_

"Still no sign of Edward." Roy sighed as he trudged into his house. He closed the door behind him and hung his black cloak on the door. His boots made muddy tracks as he made his way into the living room. With a sigh, the colonel dropped down onto the couch. He stared absent-mindedly at the slow-moving ceiling fan.

It's been about two months since Edward disappeared and the gang at East, plus Al, had been searching for him without rest. It was pouring out at present, and the water streamed down the sides of the house. The clock ticked from the kitchen, the rhythmic beat of it echoing softly through the rooms.

Roy leaned forward and placed his chin on his fists, his eyelids heavy. It was obvious the colonel was denying himself the care his body needed. There were bags under his red, tired eyes. His hair was longer than before, not brushed and slimy with grease. Dark bristles sprouted from his unshaven face. His clothes hung loosely on his thin torso.

He sighed again and stumbled up from the couch and into the kitchen. He clumsily warmed up some coffee and sipped uneasily at it. He propped up his chin with one hand and looked with glazed eyes out into the rainy night.

Roy's mind was cloudy as he struggled to put together complete thoughts. He was tired…So, so very tired. His body and soul longed for him to sleep, to finally drift into unconsciousness. But his mind pressed for him to stay awake, to keep looking for Ed.

Roy slid his finger down the table top. How would he be able to find Ed? The blonde could be anywhere. Hurt or confused, maybe both. Hell, he could even be…

Dead.

He closed his eyes and tried to imagine Edward still alive and well. It was hard to imagine him at all…Did he really forget what Ed looked like?

Edward-

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK._

Roy bolted upright, shaking his head. He must've dozed off. He lifted his head and looked drowsily at the clock. About an hour passed since he dozed off. Roy yawned and shuffled over to the door. He opened it and what-who stood there took the breath out of him.

Ed clutched his arm, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. His hair was undone and sprawled down his shoulders to his mid-section. The back of his shirt was torn, blood streaked over vile-spuming wounds. His eyes looked dull and tired. Erased. Blank.

"E-Ed" Roy choked "Edward, is that you-?"

The blonde jerked up straight, grimaced, and slouched again. He met Roy's eyes and for a moment, there was complete silence as the two males locked gazes. Ed cried out and darted forward, grabbing Roy's arm. He stuffed his face into the colonel's sleeve. Roy choked at the blonde. Hesitantly, he wrapped his free arm around the boy.

"Y-you're real…" Ed sobbed, tears rolling down his cheeks "You're real…I-I was sure…I was sure I wouldn't see anyone ever again…." His grip on Roy's arm tightened "I-I'm so glad…You're real…"

**Riza: Um….Well.**

**Fox: Hmm. So…Um, how was that?**

**Riza: Review please.**


	2. Chapter 2, Lured

**Fox: THIS IS NOT A ROYED FIC!**

**Riza: Um…**

**Fox: Just for those getting the wrong idea. I do not support RoyEd, and quite frankly, Roy belongs with Riza.**

**Riza: -sigh- This is more of a **_**Parental**_** RoyEd thing…**

**Fox: Correct. Disclaimer, Ms. Hawkeye?**

**Riza: FlamingFlyingFoxOfDoom does not own FullMetal Alchemist.**

_Two_

_**Lured **_

His golden eyes trained on words on a page. One hand in his pocket while the other held the book. He strolled leisurely down the street, his red coat trailing behind him. The sky above was clear and blue, the sun warm and inviting.

What misleading weather.

Birds chirped on the rooftops and in the shelter of trees around him. A dog barked somewhere in the distance. The sound of Ed's footsteps made a rhythmic pattern of soft thuds.

"_Such a little alchemist…" _

Ed stiffened, twitched severely and whipped his head side to side.

"Who said that?" he demanded.

"_You...Are the one who had transmuted a soul?"_

Ed's annoyed gaze turned into a glare.

"_I can tell by your expression. It's true then? You can transmute souls?" _cackling.

"Where are you! ?" Ed yelled.

"_Bitter, bitter. Life is cruel, Laugh is insanity. May I not find peace?" _a shadow shifted in the corner of Ed's eye. The young alchemist spun on heel and glared after the retreating presence and pursued. His yellow eyes gleamed with concentration, rage, and plain annoyance.

"_You chase? Why do you chase?" _laughter _"Very well. Chase, little alchemist. Chase to your heart's content."_

"You're not getting away from me!" Ed yelled "Who are you? How do you know what you do?"

"_Such demands. Chase, little alchemist. Chase."_

A growl of frustration rose in the blonde's throat. Rage beginning to pulse throughout him, pushing him on to catch whatever mocked him. Reckless impulse. Maybe it was that same impulse, the rage, that denied him his thoughts. He sprinted after that shadow, his book still in hand, and didn't even notice when he ran out of the town in a well-trodden stretch of grass. Birds chirped above, things rustled in the foliage.

"_Chase on! Chase on!" _laughter.

More rage. Pulsing of heart, blood roaring in his ears. Face slick with sweat. He neglected to acknowledge his state of thought. Rage coursed through him, he refused to care why. His mind seemed to be in a trench. Like dark hands gripping his sense of self, dragging them deep into the mindless impulse of insanity.

A stray root from a nearby tree, curved to the sky, caught at his impatient feet and sent him tumbling down onto the gnarled grass. Ed shook his head, spitting out stray blades of grass that got into his mouth. His book landed with a muffled thud a distance away. The blonde untangled himself, blinking in annoyance. And now he was who-knows-where.

He sighed, dusting himself off and looked around.

"_Do you quit, little alchemist?"_

"DON'T SAY I'M LITTLE!" Ed roared, forcing himself up to his feet. "Where the hell are you?"

"_So you still want to chase?"_

"JUST TELL ME WHERE AND WHO YOU ARE!" Ed demanded.

"_No, no. No chase. No. Little alchemist no chase me. Sadness increases in Madness." _

"Start making sense!" Ed yelled, trying to look everywhere at once. Movement in the shadows. Ed glowered, and rushed at it. The mocker skidded and turned, obviously enjoying itself.

"_Chase, chase, chase. Chase me, chase me~"_

Ed clenched his jaws and pushed on. The blonde pelted through the foliage, ignoring the dead branches that whapped against his face. The green grass melted into a dead yellow, the trees losing their rich brown color and crippling into black.

Soon, the ground beneath him was a worn stone path. Ed ran on, and then a slightest thought occurred to him. So short and simple, leading to one after another.

What am I doing?

He skidded to a halt, just in time to find himself on the edge of a staircase leading underground. He blinked his yellow eyes and shook his head, grumbling at his own stupidity. He shouldn't just chase anyone who managed to get him mad. He could, but that doesn't mean he should.

Edward grumbled under his breath, turned on heel, and started walking away. He scolded himself for not being aware of what he was doing, and where he was.

"I'm going to have to find that book…" Ed grumbled.

"_Why leave? Why leave now? So close, so close you were to Madness. Come back, come back."_

Ed clamped his hands over his ears, trying to block out the sound of the voice. The alchemist walked away, muttering the names of chemicals under his breath to help him keep a clear head. Something wrapped around his ankle and pulled his leg out from under him, causing the blonde to fall onto the stone ground.

Edward kicked out, clawing at the stone ground in a feeble attempt to flee. It dragged him back, closer to the dark staircase that descended into the depths of madness. Ed clapped his hands, only to have his arms restrained by dark tendrils.

And it dragged him down the staircase, into the corridor. When he managed to get out, and run to the entrance,

There was nothing but stone.

_**Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Tick Tock.**_

Roy rubbed his temples as Edward poked at his food. The boy looked better now than he had at first. His wounds were bandaged and his hair cleaned, pulled back in a loose ponytail. He wore a gray hoodie Mustang had lying around and sweat pants, rolled up so his ankles seemed to have a ring of fabric around them. His eyes were a little brighter and he managed not to stammer every other sentence.

"Can you tell me where this staircase might be?" Roy asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"…I don't quit remember." Ed sighed, shaking his head "L-like I said, I couldn't quite think clearly…"

Roy sighed, trying to organize the information he had. Somewhere, the grass turned to stone, and there's a staircase. Something that refers itself as 'Madness' mocks people, that makes something happen that makes people impulsive….

He sighed and looked at the clock. It was about three in the morning now. Ed nibble at the edge of a piece of toast, like he didn't have much of an appetite.

"Get some sleep, Ed." Roy suggested "There's a guest room upstairs you can use." Ed blinked, taking a moment to reply with a nod. He slowly got up and trudged up to where he was going to sleep.

The colonel bit down the impulse to go right to sleep and went to the phone, dialing in Lieutenant Hawkeye's number. Alphonse was staying with her, since he couldn't stay at the military dorms without Ed.

_"Hello?" _a high-pitched voice said.

"It's the colonel." Roy mumbled, stifling a yawn.

_"Colonel? What are you doing up so…early?" _Al asked _"You should be in bed-"_

"Your brother's here." Roy blurted out sleepily, not wanting to hear Al lecture him. With that he hung up the phone, flopped down on the couch, and fell asleep.

**Fox: How was that? Chapter two of Help, was it okay? –head tilt- **

**Riza: Please Review. **


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